How important are Genetics

Most people assume that every pro bb has great genetics but is that true. I guess my question is how much can diet, excercise, supplement and steroids take you if you have bad genetics. My mother is 110lbs@5'4" father 165lbs@5'10" Even my grand parents on both sides of the family are in very lean condition and small. I don't even have a single cousin or uncle with a good physique all are skinny as hell and one of my uncles is a beer belly heavy weight. Does this mean I could never be a pro body builder ? or can the help of a diet, steroids and supplementation help me to achieve my goals. Regardless to the answer I will try .. .. .. Never satisfied with my body, always gaining...Since starting about 3years ago I have went from 121lbs to 185lbs...@5'7"

Most people assume that every pro bb has great genetics but is that true. I guess my question is how much can diet, excercise, supplement and steroids take you if you have bad genetics. My mother is 110lbs@5'4" father 165lbs@5'10" Even my grand parents on both sides of the family are in very lean condition and small. I don't even have a single cousin or uncle with a good physique all are skinny as hell and one of my uncles is a beer belly heavy weight. Does this mean I could never be a pro body builder ? or can the help of a diet, steroids and supplementation help me to achieve my goals. Regardless to the answer I will try .. .. .. Never satisfied with my body, always gaining...Since starting about 3years ago I have went from 121lbs to 185lbs...@5'7"

i think genetics help out alot, its almost like ppl with great genetics get a "head start". when they put the effort and hardwork as say a hardgainer, they just look unbelievable.
i think even hard gainers with consistent training(alot of years), diet, juice, and hgh, can look unbelievable to a limit. just like ronny coleman, he was big and awesome looking before his GH days, and once he hit that, he was a monster that no could match up to.just my opinion though.i say personally im in the middle when it comes to genetics..

i think genetics help out alot, its almost like ppl with great genetics get a "head start". when they put the effort and hardwork as say a hardgainer, they just look unbelievable.
i think even hard gainers with consistent training(alot of years), diet, juice, and hgh, can look unbelievable to a limit. just like ronny coleman, he was big and awesome looking before his GH days, and once he hit that, he was a monster that no could match up to.just my opinion though.i say personally im in the middle when it comes to genetics..

I would also say i am in the middle but my training partner has been training for about a year or so and put on a sold 60lbs of muscles and 20lbs of fat. His arms have the perfect peak. I guess good genetics just give that head start, but I'll catch up.... I'm here to stay...good genetics or not...

i have bad bad genetics, tall and skinny, but when i finally start putting on good size i think i will look alright. so far i have put on 40lbs, 15lbs 1st cycle, plan on doing another this year sometime

I have bad genetics too. Started lifting afew years ago at 6'2" , 180lbs. With diet , gear , supplimentation , and exercise I am now holding 215lbs off cycle and steadily gaining when on. You can do it bro....Its just harder for us.....Tattoo

Look up some very early pics of Flex Wheeler...that dude was sooooooooo skinny! I say skinnier guys have an edge over chubby guys because the joints and rib cage are compact and give a more symetrical appearance. Ill see if I can find one of his early pics.

Everyone can build muscle, no questions about that, but not everyone can have
symetry and even looking muscle throughout thier whole body, that where genetics come into play IMO. I was 6'2 150, I never thought i could gain weight but once i got a diet, training and rest in check i magaged to jump up to 210 and my moms 5'6 115 and my dads 6' 130. I think geetics has a bit to do with it, but its not going to decide weather you will be a BBer or not.

Everyone can build muscle, no questions about that, but not everyone can have
symetry and even looking muscle throughout thier whole body, that where genetics come into play IMO. I was 6'2 150, I never thought i could gain weight but once i got a diet, training and rest in check i magaged to jump up to 210 and my moms 5'6 115 and my dads 6' 130. I think geetics has a bit to do with it, but its not going to decide weather you will be a BBer or not.

Everyone can build muscle, no questions about that, but not everyone can have
symetry and even looking muscle throughout thier whole body, that where genetics come into play IMO. I was 6'2 150, I never thought i could gain weight but once i got a diet, training and rest in check i magaged to jump up to 210 and my moms 5'6 115 and my dads 6' 130. I think geetics has a bit to do with it, but its not going to decide weather you will be a BBer or not.

a lot of people dont have the frame to hold a lot of size, my brother gets asked the question all the time, and he has never used aas, we both have good genetics, and even if when we didnt train, we still had some,siz and def, genetics has alot do do with it, but like jay cutler said, mass is only a shot away

I think u can take u as far as u want to go! Stick that needle in ur ass and give em hell bro!! If u train harder, eat better, and use the juice u should surpass the guys with good genetics. While they may have a better stepping stone, if u r truly dedicated....u will make it! Those guys with good genetics will get cockey and screw up more than u...because u want it more and r more focused. I'll be looking to see you in comp...in first!!

OK there Jonnytour.... hows the roid availability in Ontario?? Maybe you should get out of the local why and start training serious Jon. Not everyone needs to stick a needle in their ass to get the gains they want.. Sometimes it just takes hardwork and dedication.. something u sould try. I agree with u about wanting it, n Russ sounds like you do.. so do it as naturally as possible and you will feel better about yourself

hey need more...rn't u looking into starting the juice at the age of 20??...have u lifted any weights?....i'm just sayin that all the pro's use...and if they have good genetics than anybody who wants that kind of mass is gonna have to use too...Russ U want it?...U need it? U've used before. Now just focus and work hard...U'll get there.

OK there Jonnytour.... hows the roid availability in Ontario?? Maybe you should get out of the local why and start training serious Jon. Not everyone needs to stick a needle in their ass to get the gains they want.. Sometimes it just takes hardwork and dedication.. something u sould try. I agree with u about wanting it, n Russ sounds like you do.. so do it as naturally as possible and you will feel better about yourself

First of all doing it naturally or not is not my question. I don't care about being natural. ONLY PLANTs GROW NATURALLY... I put a huge amount of work into bb and I use steroids . There should be no problem in that. I have only used 2 cycles and put on about 45lbs. Lifting naturally I put on about 20lbs... Since lifting I put on decent size and will continue, as for doing it naturally, never going to happen....I am serious enough to use and am very educated in the sport and drugs involved...

I take offense that ppl say that all PRO's use roids dude.. I dont think thats totally tru!! yea I'm thinking about it.. but only because I've been at it serious for 3 years.. I'll still wait a yr or two though... But yea honestly.. nothing beats hard work, persistance, diet and a good training schedual!! get it... but do it first naturally then once you've reached your goal.. go buck anything else is just extra

I take offense that ppl say that all PRO's use roids dude.. I dont think thats totally tru!! yea I'm thinking about it.. but only because I've been at it serious for 3 years.. I'll still wait a yr or two though... But yea honestly.. nothing beats hard work, persistance, diet and a good training schedual!! get it... but do it first naturally then once you've reached your goal.. go buck anything else is just extra

No flame but I was only trying to bring out the perks of Steroids . Of course I didn't take steroids after lifting for a month. I did all my research and waited almost 2 years. I also lifted for years while in high school naturally. Don't make is sound like I am cheating. I train just as hard as anyone, eat food just as much as anyone, and am very persistant and patient. Don't turn this thread into something it is not...Some of you guys are making it sound like i am using steroids to become a professional bb... and naturally is better. If naturally is better why are you on this site...

Genetics are a major key. Remember those guys in high school with bi's and a six pack that never touched a weight. I was a very skinny kid and had to fight for every pound at 38 I don't have that probelm anymore (LOL).

I was 6' 165lbs as a senior and at one of the wrestling matches the opponent at my weight came over and asked who was wrestling 165 I said me and he laughed at me to my face( he didn't know I could bench over 300lbs) I body slammed him got a penalty point and promptly pinned him. As he said looks can be decieving, and he apologized. Oh the glory days!

Is it just me or does it seem like black guys have the best genetics? They just seem to be naturally lean and muscular. Not a diss or a racist stereotype, even though it may be a stereotype based on race. If anything it is a compliment, but we all know who has the biggest ****............... the Irish!!!!!!

I tell you what genetic trait I think makes the best BBer.....TENACITY! It takes something deep inside to be able to push yourself to the max every training session and have the fortitude to eat right...ALL the time, not just when on a cycle. The rest is just gravy.

I tell you what genetic trait I think makes the best BBer.....TENACITY! It takes something deep inside to be able to push yourself to the max every training session and have the fortitude to eat right...ALL the time, not just when on a cycle. The rest is just gravy.

Genetics!

If you have bad genetics you can never be a PRO-bodybuilder...
(Not saying you can't be huge! --> Just not "Freaky" enough to make it to the World-PROS!)

Fenotype = Genotype + Enviroment

The more we process info from HUGO the more we realize Enviroment plays a much less significant role then we thought!

That's why we prefer not to prescribe medicine when there's no need for it
--> Nothing can ever come even close to the bodies own Homeostasis (perfect balance), if adding something you always "disturb" something else!

Even after 3000 years of medicine we still don't know 0,001% about how the body works! --> That's why there are so much disease we can't cure yet and so many mutations of them (co-evolution of pathogens as described by Darwin)...

If you are small in size doesn't necessarily means you have bad genetics (e.g. everyone has a certain ratio of slow to fast musclefibers which can not be altered) but if it can be proven that you have bad genetics for musclebuilding (because maybe they are good genetics for something else ) then take all the medicines/supplements/gear you want and train and diet as much as your body can stand but you will never reach a point other then that the body permits you
(steroids for instance shift that limit by a small factor but what most people think that you couldn't reach that point naturally without gear is nonsense, you can always reach that maximum although maybe requiring 24/7 training and dedication but still --> steroids just make you come to that MAX much faster, but still there's only so much {muscle}mass a body can hold without resorting to unconventional help like growth factors!)

I'm really going to laugh if anybody doesn't agree with me since that would be real hypocritical
(my study teaches me that nothing can make up for genetics)
for it would probably be the same guys who always scream loudest that dieting without proper diet and cardio (so just diet-aids/gear) or juicing without proper training and diet doesn't work

(P.S. One more time being skinny doesn't mean you have bead genetics for muscle building --> To establish that knowledge you should take numerous tests, although in most cases it probably would be so seeing the old theories of endomorphs, mesomorphs and octomorphs --> Meaning gaining wouldn't be impossible but just harder then people with better genetic make-up, compare it with fat people eating and trying to lose weight opposed to skinny people)

If you have bad genetics you can never be a PRO-bodybuilder...
(Not saying you can't be huge! --> Just not "Freaky" enough to make it to the World-PROS!)

Fenotype = Genotype + Enviroment

The more we process info from HUGO the more we realize Enviroment plays a much less significant role then we thought!

That's why we prefer not to prescribe medicine when there's no need for it
--> Nothing can ever come even close to the bodies own Homeostasis (perfect balance), if adding something you always "disturb" something else!

Even after 3000 years of medicine we still don't know 0,001% about how the body works! --> That's why there are so much disease we can't cure yet and so many mutations of them (co-evolution of pathogens as described by Darwin)...

If you are small in size doesn't necessarily means you have bad genetics (e.g. everyone has a certain ratio of slow to fast musclefibers which can not be altered) but if it can be proven that you have bad genetics for musclebuilding (because maybe they are good genetics for something else ) then take all the medicines/supplements/gear you want and train and diet as much as your body can stand but you will never reach a point other then that the body permits you
(steroids for instance shift that limit by a small factor but what most people think that you couldn't reach that point naturally without gear is nonsense, you can always reach that maximum although maybe requiring 24/7 training and dedication but still --> steroids just make you come to that MAX much faster, but still there's only so much {muscle}mass a body can hold without resorting to unconventional help like growth factors!)

I'm really going to laugh if anybody doesn't agree with me since that would be real hypocritical
(my study teaches me that nothing can make up for genetics)
for it would probably be the same guys who always scream loudest that dieting without proper diet and cardio (so just diet-aids/gear) or juicing without proper training and diet doesn't work

(P.S. One more time being skinny doesn't mean you have bead genetics for muscle building --> To establish that knowledge you should take numerous tests, although in most cases it probably would be so seeing the old theories of endomorphs, mesomorphs and octomorphs --> Meaning gaining wouldn't be impossible but just harder then people with better genetic make-up, compare it with fat people eating and trying to lose weight opposed to skinny people)

This is a really good post. I get sick of hearing people say "wait until you're at your genetic potential before you start AAS" . genetic potential is a unobtainable state. Nobody has ever reached it, and nobody ever will.

I will disagree with one statement though. Fibertype switching is certainly possible. calcineurin-NFAT signaling has been shown to be responsible for fiber type switching. AAS has been shown to promote this effect. (I'll try to dig up the AAS and fiber type switching study). It's simple alternative splicing.

This is a really good post. I get sick of hearing people say "wait until you're at your genetic potential before you start AAS" . genetic potential is a unobtainable state. Nobody has ever reached it, and nobody ever will.

I will disagree with one statement though. Fibertype switching is certainly possible. calcineurin-NFAT signaling has been shown to be responsible for fiber type switching. AAS has been shown to promote this effect. (I'll try to dig up the AAS and fiber type switching study). It's simple alternative splicing.

Good post in general though

Thanks Einstein always nice to get props from somebody who is so respected and with so much informative posts as you!

Flex was a very good pro bodybuilder, who just so happened to be skinny even though he had trained for a long time. The original poster complains that his genetics are too skinny to be a profesional bodybuilder. yeah I don't see how thats relevant at all.

My knowledge of how genetics works comes from the ex-fiance, a female bb who competed around the midwest and made at run at national level before a devastating car wreck.

She said genetics, i.e., bone structure, muscle shape, was the difference between looking great and a trophy.

Think about it like this, some people have abs with nice clean lines, like you see in anatomy chart. But we know this is not always the case. There are plenty of bodybuilders with ripped abs, but they look funky because the lines are not clean and distinct.

Insertion points, joint size, etc. all play a role and are the difference between looking great and taking home the trophy at the higher levels.

Most people assume that every pro bb has great genetics but is that true. I guess my question is how much can diet, excercise, supplement and steroids take you if you have bad genetics. My mother is 110lbs@5'4" father 165lbs@5'10" Even my grand parents on both sides of the family are in very lean condition and small. I don't even have a single cousin or uncle with a good physique all are skinny as hell and one of my uncles is a beer belly heavy weight. Does this mean I could never be a pro body builder ? or can the help of a diet, steroids and supplementation help me to achieve my goals. Regardless to the answer I will try .. .. .. Never satisfied with my body, always gaining...Since starting about 3years ago I have went from 121lbs to 185lbs...@5'7"

ANy feedback...

Now that growth hormone is widely available and used, I don't think genetics are much of an issue anymore.

Genetics are a huge issue.You guys have all talked to the guy at the gym that will
gain forty pounds of muscle in two months naturally,(Ive had this happen more than once)and they tell you that they are gonna start taking these things called protein shakes they see in the cooler,or they ask how much I eat and just laugh.Seriously Ive seen guys on the worst diets with the worst training look like semi-pro bodybuilders.
You cant tell me that genetics does not play a big if not the biggest part in growth............IMO

Is it just me or does it seem like black guys have the best genetics? They just seem to be naturally lean and muscular. Not a diss or a racist stereotype, even though it may be a stereotype based on race. If anything it is a compliment, but we all know who has the biggest ****............... the Irish!!!!!!

I am Irish if no one knew.

I agree Iam not racist but it seems like some brothers seem to excell
without putting forthmuch effort in bodybuilding.Iam friends with this
brother that I work out with occosionally(on his bench day)he does
flat bench press everyday,**** you not.He will do different
workouts everyday but they always start with flat bench
I try to tell him he's not giving him self time to heal but he just grows
and grows and that's like telling me I don't know what Iam talking about.
He has never done any powerlifts,no legs ever, says that walking on them is enough.Dosent eat any protein, supplements, or anything and is nasty big
genetics suck..............